Know Yourself. Live Better.

Today marks exactly one year from when I started wearing my Jawbone Up.

In that time, I have taken more than 3 million steps over nearly 1,600 miles. It doesn't matter weather I'm wearing jeans or a suit, it is always on my wrist. I have tan lines from wearing it all summer. I wouldn't want to go another day without it.

When people ask me about my wristband, I usually start by telling them flat out "It will change your life" and I absolutely mean it. Everyone should be wearing something like it, be it a Jawbone or a Fitbit or a Basis. Just having a quantified expression to make you more aware about your activity and your sleep is unbelievably powerful and will change you. The knowledge alone will improve your life - as Jawbone's slogan for the Up says, "Know Yourself. Live Better." There are few things you can own that will have as great an impact on how you live.

Buy one. Wear it everyday. Become aware. Improve your life. Never look back.

Argentina - El Chalten

Go here. Seriously, this is a must for a trip to Argentina. Phenomenal hikes surrounded by unbelievable natural beauty. Best stop on the trip, hands down.

Argentina - El Calafate

Seeing the Moreno Glacier was something truly special, one of the highlights of the trip for me. Not much going on in the city (super touristy), but it's a good jumping-off point for other places in Patagonia.

 

Argentina - Buenos Aires

Worth a couple of days at most unless you have local friends to show you around. Lovely tree-lined streets, European architecture. No real "must-see"s, though Recoleta Cemetery is cool and there is an awesome graffiti tour. Unbearably hot and humid in the summer months.

Argentina 2014 - The Plan

"Photography is my memory. I have chosen photography to prove that I exist"

I found this quote from a photographer a while back and it really resonated with me. I had considered writing lengthy posts about each place that I went during my three-week trip to Argentina, but decided I would rather let my photos tell the story instead.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think that is a gross underestimation. Truthfully, I don't think I have the words to do justice to some of the sights I have seen. Though my pictures are not comprehensive enough or of high enough quality to truly encapsulate then whole experience, they certainly do a much better job than I could do in writing.

The plan is to create a post of pictures with minimal captions for each place I went. It might take a while for me to work through all of the shots I've taken to find and process the best ones, but I'll try to get it done as quickly as possible.

A Loss

My grandma fast passed away last night. She was just a couple weeks away from turning 89. From what I understand, the end came quickly and wasn't painful.

She liked to wear broaches pinned to her jacket and to drink tea. I often thought she fancied herself similar to the queen of england.

She was the first person I travelled overseas with. We spent two weeks touring England and Wales back when I was in high school.

She always made sure ribs were on the menu at least one night whenever I was around. She knew they were my favorite and hers were particularly delicious.

She once cleaned and cooked live fish the we caught off the pier. She had said she would and kept her word, though she clearly expected that they'd show up dead like fish from the supermarket.

She would use words that nobody else knew when we played scrabble or quiddler. We regularly protested, but the dictionary always proved her right.

She was my friend on Facebook and once scolded me for dropping an f-bomb in my status. She also continued to send me handwritten letters despite knowing how to email.

Her life had more wonderful snippets and stories than I could possibly write down. She will be greatly missed.

I haven't seen my grandma in over five years and was planning on going to the cottage next summer just to see how she was doing. I wish I hadn't waited so long. Don't forget to tell the people who matter to you how much you love them every chance that you get.

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Week Fifty: In That Moment

I stepped out of a reception for student leaders to take this shot. The view just got better and better every time I caught a glimpse out the window as the sunset until it reached the point where I had to excuse myself, grab my camera, and step outside.

I love love love sunsets, but they are tricky to shoot. It's always hard to know when they're at their best and, once the moment passes, they can drop off so quickly. I invariably find myself with a ton of shots and have to dig through them to find the very best of the bunch. This was the last of the series I took and I wonder if I wouldn't have been better off giving it a minute or two more, just long enough for the blues to darken up a bit without losing the boldness of the oranges at the bottom. I probably could have messed around with the colors in Lightroom to get the effect, but I like trying to keep my photos true to what my eyes really saw.